By now, you’ve probably heard about everything the Los Angeles Dodgers do to add talent at all costs, ballooning their opening day payroll this season to $321 million in present-day dollars, the second-most in MLB (first: Mets). Off a World Series win in 2024, the Dodgers want to keep winning, and they added and re-signed players for a total of $450 million this winter after a $1 billion offseason last year. Luxury tax will push that cost for ownership even higher.
But Los Angeles is also looking for ways to spend outside of payroll to position the team for improved performance. One tactic highlighted in a recent Los Angeles Times article was the travel itinerary, which now includes a second chartered plane for the Dodgers. One plane takes players, the other takes manager Dave Roberts, his staff, and other team personnel.
That shift has allowed players to get to road cities earlier so they have a true day to themselves instead of spending their off day traveling, something Dodgers players have lauded as hugely helpful for recovery. Additionally, roomier planes have made for a more comfortable travel experience, a luxury particularly important for long bicoastal trips.
The dollar amount of a second plane is easy to imagine as costly, but incidental costs rack up as well: Not only do they need hotel rooms for an additional night in those day-early cases, but also the Dodgers senior director of travel Scott Akasaki has had to hire additional staff to help manage the complex logistics of the operation, according to the LA Times’ reporting.
Another possible benefit for the Dodgers? These dollars aren’t as punitive as player payroll dollars because they fall outside of the team’s payroll, which means they aren’t subject to the luxury tax. Dollar for dollar, they’re “cheaper” ways to spend than adding more talent at this point.
The Dodgers clearly understand that winning takes everything and everyone, even your travel planning staff.
